Lowell Mountain Would Become State's Largest Wind Energy Development

(Host)
The Public Service Board opened hearings Thursday on Green Mountain
Power's plans to harness the wind that blows over a mountain ridge in the Northeast Kingdom.

GMP officials took the stand and outlined the project. They said it will
provide an environmentally friendly source of electricity, and that the project
will benefit ratepayers and its major shareholder.

VPR's
John Dillon has more:

(Dillon)
If built, the 21 turbines planned for Lowell Mountain would become the state's largest wind energy
development.

The
Public Service Board hearings will cover questions of cost, as well as the
impact of the development on neighbors and the mountain habitat.

CEO
Mary Powell says the over-arching goal of the Lowell project is to provide a renewable energy source for
customers.

(Powell) "So much of what informed
our thinking on this was because we didn't want to sort of fall into the
traditional thinking of it's either high prices and green, or lower cost and
dirtier. We really challenged ourselves to come up with a strategy where we can
move to a clean, green, but cost-effective energy future for our customers."

(Dillon)
Powell said it's better for GMP to own the
project rather than buy wind power from other developers. She compared it to
owning your own home rather than paying a landlord.

(Powell) "In essence once the
initial capital cost is paid off the energy goes to customers at the actual
cost of maintaining and operating those plants."

(Dillon)
Powell also told the Public Service Board that the project will also benefit
its main shareholder, the Canadian company GazMet.

The
Lowell project has stirred controversy and opposition in the
Northeast Kingdom. GMP has promised to pay Lowell about half a million dollars a year. It's also committed
to paying much lesser amounts to several surrounding towns.

Powell
says she hopes communities eventually see other benefits as well.

(Powell) "It's my dream, it's my
hope, it's my aspiration that there will be a day that actually people in the
Northeast Kingdom with great pride and know that they are contributing to you
know a reduction to significant carbon."

(Dillon)
But judging from the crowd in the hearing room opponents are not mollified.
Among other issues, they're concerned about noise from the turbines, damage to
wildlife habitat and the impact on property values.

Pat
O'Neill drove down from Westfield.
She says conservation groups previously identified the Lowell mountain range as an important region for wildlife.

(O'Neill) And where this project
is proposed is one of six critical linkage areas for habitat in a huge swath of
the Northeast, including all of the New England states, upper New York state...
all the way out to the Gaspe Pennisula. And to say, ‘Well, you know it really
isn't going to make any difference,' or "There's plenty of other space there,'
seems a little cavalier."

(Dillon)
Opponents will get their turn later before the PSB. But O'Neill doesn't believe the process is fair. She said GMP worked on its application for many months, but local citizen groups
and neighboring property owners faced a quick three-week deadline to prepare
testimony and witnesses.